Tripwire Interactive brought Killing Floor to virtual reality, and the result is a shooter that knows exactly what it wants to be: a fast, brutal hack-and-slash romp with a multiplayer co-op mode that turns four players into a human wall of blades. Killing Floor: Incursion arrived in 2017 for Oculus VR, PlayStation 4, PlayStation VR, PC, SteamVR, and Oculus Rift, and it lands somewhere between a shooter and a beat-em-up, with zombies that require hacking apart more often than shooting.
The premise is simple. You step into a war zone filled with hordes of undead creatures, and your job is to cut through them. The game leans on a familiar formula: wave after wave of enemies, each one tougher than the last, with occasional boss fights to break up the rush. What sets Incursion apart is the VR perspective, which drops you directly into the action rather than watching it from a distance.
Trailer, via PC Gamer.
VR Drops You Into the Action
First-person VR changes everything. In a standard shooter, you aim and fire. Here, you swing a blade and watch it connect with a skull. The difference is not subtle. It is immediate.
The game’s core mechanic is hacking, which means slicing through enemies to reduce them to smaller pieces. Each zombie takes multiple hacks to fall, and the game rewards precision over wild swings. This creates a rhythm: find an enemy, strike, repeat. The motion tracking is solid enough that your swings feel connected to your hands, even when the game stumbles with frame rate dips during busy waves.
“Tripwire brings Killing Floor to VR.”
That line sums up the whole project. The studio took an existing franchise and wrapped it in VR, and the result is a competent, if unremarkable, adaptation. It works. It just does not reinvent the wheel.
Hacking Is the Star of the Show
The combat is where Incursion earns its keep. You have a variety of weapons at your disposal, from standard firearms to melee blades, and the game encourages you to switch between them depending on the situation. A shotgun might clear a room of weak enemies, while a blade is better against armored foes that require hacking.
The hacking system is the star of the show. Enemies explode into chunks when you hit them, and the game tracks your progress on screen. It feels satisfying, almost meditative, as you work through a tough enemy layer by layer.
The downside is that the hacking can become repetitive. After a few hours, the repeated strikes start to blur together, and the game relies on boss fights and new enemy types to shake things up. That said, the core loop is strong enough to keep you engaged for the duration of a session.
Multiplayer Adds a Social Layer
Multiplayer is where Killing Floor: Incursion shines brightest. Up to four players can join a team and face waves of enemies together, sharing the load of hacking and firepower. The co-op mode adds a social layer that the solo campaign lacks.
The game handles the multiplayer well. Players spawn in the same space, and communication is built-in through a shared chat channel. It is easy to coordinate attacks, call out threats, and work as a unit. The difficulty scales with the number of players, so a full team can take on harder waves than a solo player.
Performance Varies Across Platforms
The game runs on several platforms, and the performance varies across them. On Oculus VR and Oculus Rift, the experience is smooth, though frame rate dips can occur during hectic moments. PlayStation VR offers a similar experience, though the headset’s resolution is lower than the PC versions, which shows in the detail of enemy textures.
The PC version, running on SteamVR, delivers the best visual fidelity. It also allows for higher frame rates and faster load times, making it the preferred way to play for those who own a capable rig. The PlayStation 4 version, separate from the PSVR build, runs at a lower resolution and frame rate, which can make the action feel less responsive during busier waves.
Art Direction and Sound Design
The art direction is functional rather than stunning. Enemy designs are recognizable, with a mix of humanoid zombies, armored beasts, and larger bosses that demand careful positioning. The environments are generic military bases, warehouses, and streets, which do not offer much variation between missions. The lighting is adequate, with some atmospheric fog and gunfire effects to sell the horror tone.
The sound design is decent, with loud gunshots, hacking impacts, and enemy roars filling the audio space. The music is minimal, letting the action speak for itself. It is a serviceable package, but nothing that stands out as memorable.
The Verdict on Incursion
Killing Floor: Incursion is a solid, if unambitious, VR shooter. It takes an established franchise and puts it in a headset, and it mostly succeeds at that goal. The hacking combat is engaging, the co-op mode is strong, and the multiplayer holds up well. However, the game lacks the polish of a top-tier VR title, with performance issues and a combat loop that grows repetitive over time.
The game is available on multiple platforms, which gives players flexibility in how they access it. Whether you own a PC, a PlayStation, or an Oculus headset, there is a version for you. That is a positive, since it means more people can try it.
If you are a fan of the original Killing Floor series, you will likely enjoy this spinoff. If you are new to the franchise, Incursion is a decent entry point, though it is not the best representation of the series. It is a competent, enjoyable shooter that benefits most from being played with friends.
The game is not perfect. The repetition of hacking, the lower visual fidelity on PSVR, and the occasional frame rate dip hold it back from greatness. But it is also a game that knows its strengths and plays to them. It is a shooter that respects the genre while adding enough VR-specific touches to justify its existence.
| Platform | Frame Rate | Visual Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Oculus VR / Rift | Smooth, with dips | High |
| PlayStation VR | Adequate | Lower than PC |
| PlayStation 4 | Lower than VR builds | Lower than PC |
| PC / SteamVR | Best | Highest |
That table captures the trade-offs players face when choosing a version. The PC build is the definitive way to play, but it requires the hardware. The PSVR and Oculus builds are accessible to more people, though they come with visual compromises.
Killing Floor: Incursion is a game that understands its audience and delivers what they want: fast, satisfying combat in a shared space. It is not a revolutionary title, but it is a reliable one. It earns a score of 7.0 out of 10, reflecting its solid execution and its limitations.
The game is worth playing if you own a VR headset and enjoy cooperative shooters. It is less essential if you are looking for a standout title, but it still holds up as a competent addition to the genre. It is a game that does what it promises, even if it does not promise much beyond that.
The final word is this: Killing Floor: Incursion is a solid, if unremarkable, VR shooter. It is worth your time if you have the headset and the friends to share it with. It is not a game that will change the genre, but it is a game that delivers on its promise.
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